The Sun Newspaper

ENGLAND’S dressing room was raging after Diego Maradona had knocked them out of the World Cup in Mexico.
The air was blue and the FA officials were being told to go to Fifa and demand a replay because of Maradona’s 1986 ‘Hand of God’ goal.

England players were not happy when Steve Hodge got Diego Maradona’s shirt after the Hand of GodCredit: Mirrorpix

Maradona’s infamous act helped Argentina knock England out of the 1986 World CupCredit: Rex Features

 It was not just the Argentinian cheat who was the subject of their ire,  though.
So too was Steve Hodge who had swapped shirts with Maradona  after the match.
Hodge, the ex-Nottingham Forest midfielder, still has the shirt, which  is believed could now be worth more than £500,000.
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But, having sliced his clearance in the build-up to Maradona’s handball goal, the act he also had hold of that No 10 shirt in the dressing room was too much for his team-mates.
Former Arsenal full-back Kenny Sansom recalled: “Certain words were said in the dressing room.
“It was an angry place to be because we felt we’d been cheated, could  have got to the final and maybe won it.
“People like Ray Wilkins — who was one of the nicest men you could meet —  was going berserk at the FA  people, saying we should get the game replayed.

“Some of us had a go at Steve Hodge asking why he wanted Maradona’s shirt when he was a cheat.

“But I’ve since heard what it’s worth and now we all wish we’d got it!”
Hodge was rooming with Peter Reid and took the shirt out of his bag when they got back to the team hotel.
Reid had been left trailing in Maradona’s wake as he chased him in vain on the way to his amazing solo  second goal.
Former Everton and Manchester City star Reid said: “When we were in the hotel, he got the shirt out with the  No 10 on it and says, ‘What about that then?’
“So not only has Maradona  battered me and handled one in, I’ve got Hodge showing me his shirt.
“Suffice to say, I wasn’t best pleased and I gave Hodgy the biggest b******ing he’s ever had in his life.
“But they say it’s worth a few quid so maybe he had the last laugh.”  Hodge, who called his autobiography ‘The Man with Maradona’s Shirt’, said: “After the game I just thought ‘that’s the end of it’ and decided I’d try  and get Maradona’s shirt.
“I saw him coming and tug on my shirt and he took his off  and swapped with me. It was as simple as that and over in ten seconds.  I’ve no  idea if he kept my shirt or not.
“I have no hatred towards him. I blame the linesman for not spotting the handball.”
The Maradona shirt has been on display in the  National Football Museum  to mixed reactions from England supporters.
But Argentina fans have made pilgrimages to see it on trips to this country.
Hodge added: “Would I ever sell it? I’m not sure really, I quite like it.”

Maradon’s handball became the stuff of legendsCredit: Rex Features

Maradona sadly passed away aged 60 on WednesdayCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Recalling the quarter-final match in Mexico City, England star Reid said: “We opted not to man-mark him — thank God I wasn’t given that job.
“Belgium tried it in the semi-final with Eric Gerets, who was a great player, and he still tore them apart. He was one of those players, whatever way you went about, if he was playing well on the day he was very, very difficult to stop.
“We felt a bit cheated with the first —  but the second goal was magnificent.
“They were dancing in the tunnel, it really went off,  and I think Terry Butcher steamed into them. It was quite lively afterwards.
“But, quite simply,  Maradona is one of the best  players to walk the planet.
“Being an Englishman we’ve got some regrets about the handball but he was a great, great footballer.”

Emotional Gary Lineker pays tribute to Diego Maradona More

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to have found the key to getting 11 stars working together on the pitch.
Donny van de Beek must have been thinking ‘I’m a redundant footballer . . . get me out here’ since arriving at Old Trafford in the summer.

⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

Donny van de Beek delivered a superb performance for Manchester United after being given his chanceCredit: Getty Images – Getty
But he was king of the castle in United’s 4-1 Champions League win over Istanbul Basaksehir and offered a vision of a bright future for the team.
In what was only his fifth start, the deep-lying Dutchman offered the link between front and back that the Red Devils have been missing.
What it also crucially did was give Bruno Fernandes more freedom to do damage further forward.

No longer did he have to keep dropping deep to get the ball and get things moving because Van de Beek was doing that.
The £40million signing was answering his manager’s call to keep things simple with passing and movement that made United tick over.
No longer did Fernandes feel like he needed to do the job of two men.
Van de Beek said: “It worked really well. Some games I play No 10 and sometimes the coach needs me in the control position. That is fine for me because when I played at Ajax, I was playing in those positions, so it is OK.”

There will be sterner tests than Wednesday night to come. But there is nothing to suggest the son of Ajax cannot reproduce this form at any level.
United great and TV pundit Rio Ferdinand said: “He is the one player in the squad who is happy playing one-touch, two-touch, keeping it simple.

“He sacrifices parts of his game for other people to flourish – and in any great team you need players like that, who make other players tick. Bruno benefited from having him in the team.”
Former United midfielder Paul Scholes added: “He is very aware of what Fernandes wants to do with the ball.”
Solskjaer has been holding back the 23-year-old in the belief he is physically not ready for the demands of the domestic league.
He has started three European games and two in the EFL Cup — but none in the Prem.
Yet with a Fred or Scott McTominay next to him in a two in front of the back four, Van de Beek can work his magic.
As Solskjaer himself said: “Donny’s a different type of central midfielder, he can run forward if you have Scott in there.”

Fernandes certainly enjoyed his freedom further forward once again, proving he is more than a penalty taker when it comes to goals.
His brace took him to 21 goals in 35 appearances for United since joining from Sporting Lisbon last January.
That is the quickest a Red Devils midfielder has hit the 20-goal mark. So now a visit to fifth-placed Southampton awaits on Sunday. Van de Beek is ready. Is Solskjaer ready to pick him?

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